Fairgrounds Improvement Plan Moves Ahead

DAYTON-Since September, a group of stakeholders has been meeting to develop a plan for improving the facilities at the Columbia County fairgrounds. Last week, a draft of the plan was presented to the committee for comment by Meagan Bailey, Columbia County Planning Assistant, who has been coordinating the effort. Her department has been tasked with the job by the Columbia County Commisioners.

The purpose of the project, which is broken down into three phases, is:

To provide a safe, healthy, attractive, and multifaceted facility for our community

To encourage community connectedness through public events

To promote continued economic growth

To create a community vision for the county facilities

Bailey has taken a hard look at facility use, and has determined there is an upward trend in the revenue stream.

"The data indicates a positive future and need for Columbia County facilities, and illustrates a greater need to commit time and effort into rehabilitating the already-busy facilities," Bailey said in her plan.

The facilities were studied and rated according to total usage, economic impact, and intrinsic value.

The Pavilion, the Youth Building, and the Touchet Valley Golf Course are identified as top priorities in Phase I of the plan.

Some of the recommendations for Phase I include: removing the current restrooms at the Pavilion and replacing them with ADA accessible stalls; installing an automatic sprinkler system at the golf course; and remodeling, or demolishing and rebuilding, the Youth Building.

Phase II includes recommendations for the main grandstand, which is "functionally compromised" and "shows signs of age and wear." Improvements to the main grandstand will ensure the longevity of the structure, provide access to a greater number of people, and contribute to the overall vision of the plan.

Other recommendations in Phase II are for improvements to the indoor arena, the equine barn, the livestock barn and the show ring, and include replacing leaking roofs, updating stalls, updating restrooms, purchasing a grooming tool for the arena, enlarging horse stalls, and adding horse runs.

Accessory buildings, such as the jockey office, fair office, and agriculture education office are in Phase III of the Plan.

Recommendations are to upgrade showers in the jockey office, relocate the fair office more centrally, and improve parking and signage.

Later this year, the east grandstand will be demolished, and the area will be seeded with grass, until new uses are identified.

"I think everyone should know how well the plan is going. I am ahead of my initial schedule," said Bailey. "The committee works well together and they bring in new ideas every meeting."

Bailey also said, "I believe that the plan I am writing is a true vision created solely from the committee members, and represents the needs and goals of the community as a whole."

The public is welcome to phone Bailey, or visit her at the county Building and Planning Department, with questions, or to give additional input into the plan.

Bailey said a final draft of the plan should be ready by April 1. The draft will then go before the commissioners for approval, and a public hearing will be scheduled.